She's Come Undone

Why does Dolores identify with whales? How does her identification with whales change as her life progresses, and why does the novel conclude as she finally witnesses a happy, healthy whale?

Dolores admits at the beginning of the novel that her narration and memories are somewhat unreliable. How does this affect the experience of reading the story? Are there times when her narration seems more or less trustworthy?

In what ways does Dolores’s family history demonstrate Healing Intergenerational Trauma as a Source of Hope? How does the novel relate this theme to motherhood, as well as Dolores’s doubts toward men as parental figures?

How does Dolores’s body image and her relationship with food affect her self-worth? What is required for Dolores to see herself as beautiful and worthy, and why does it take so long for her to see herself this way?

Dolores experiences a number of traumatic events in childhood. How does Dr. Shaw’s therapeutic method of allowing Dolores to relive her childhood aid her recovery?

Why does Dolores choose to stay isolated from the world throughout her youth? How does this affect her view of herself and the world? How does it demonstrate the ways in which Dolores resembles her mother and grandmother?

Is Dolores’s story primarily one of healing, acceptance, or sacrifice? Defend your argument using detailed evidence from the story and by drawing on the novel’s themes.

How does Wally Lamb’s decision to set the novel in New England impact the effect of the story? How is the cultural influence of the region apparent throughout the novel?